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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. plane — a tool
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. saw — the tool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. suit — to fit
  10. field — farmland
  11. suit — clothes
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. suit — in cards
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. snap — to click

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com